SUPERIOR JAPANESE SAMURAI WAKIZASHI ( POSSIBLE LADIES) - LATE 19TH TO EARLY 20TH CENTURY

OVERVIEW:
A TRADITIONAL JAPANESE WAKIZASHI SHORT SWORD FEATURING A CURVED STEEL BLADE WITH PERIOD-APPROPRIATE FITTINGS AND WRAPPING. THE PIECE DEMONSTRATES AUTHENTIC CONSTRUCTION METHODS AND MATERIALS CONSISTENT WITH LATE MEIJI OR TAISHO PERIOD MANUFACTURE. THE TANTO WAS THE COMPANION BLADE TO THE LONGER KATANA, WORN BY SAMURAI AND LATER BY MILITARY OFFICERS DURING THE MEIJI AND TAISHO ERAS.

SPECIFICATIONS:
- BLADE: CURVED STEEL CONSTRUCTION WITH VISIBLE PATINA AND AGE-RELATED SURFACE OXIDATION. THE BLADE RETAINS ITS ORIGINAL CURVATURE AND DEMONSTRATES THE CHARACTERISTIC GEOMETRY OF A WAKIZASHI, TYPICALLY RANGING FROM 30-60 CM IN LENGTH.
- TSUBA (HAND GUARD): HORN CONSTRUCTION WITH DIAMOND-SHAPED APERTURE (LIKELY REPRESENTING A STYLISED MON OR FAMILY CREST). THE TSUBA DISPLAYS WARM CREAM COLOURATION WITH NATURAL AGE-RELATED YELLOWING AND MINOR SURFACE WEAR CONSISTENT WITH GENUINE ANTIQUITY.
- KASHIRA (POMMEL): BONE CONSTRUCTION WITH DECORATIVE CARVED DETAILING AND BURNT OR BRANDED SURFACE MARKINGS. THE KASHIRA SHOWS THE SAME PATINA AS THE TSUBA, CONFIRMING PERIOD-MATCHED FITTINGS.
- HANDLE (TSUKA): DARK HARDWOOD (LIKELY ROSEWOOD OR SIMILAR SPECIES) WRAPPED WITH COPPER WIRE IN TRADITIONAL SPIRAL WRAPPING TECHNIQUE. THE WIRE WRAPPING REMAINS SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT WITH NATURAL TARNISHING AND OXIDATION.
- SAYA (SCABBARD): DARK WOOD CONSTRUCTION WITH COPPER WIRE BINDING AT INTERVALS. THE SAYA SHOWS NATURAL WEATHERING, MINOR LONGITUDINAL CRACKS, AND SURFACE WEAR CONSISTENT WITH HISTORICAL USE AND STORAGE.
- MENUKI (DECORATIVE ORNAMENTS): BRASS AND HORN ELEMENTS VISIBLE BENEATH THE WIRE WRAPPING, ADDING DECORATIVE DETAIL TO THE HANDLE.

CONDITION ASSESSMENT:
THE BLADE EXHIBITS SURFACE PATINA AND OXIDATION TYPICAL OF A STEEL BLADE THAT HAS AGED NATURALLY OVER 100+ YEARS. NO EVIDENCE OF MODERN POLISHING OR RESTORATION IS APPARENT. THE HORN FITTINGS DISPLAY GENUINE AGE CHARACTERISTICS INCLUDING YELLOWING AND MINOR SURFACE WEAR. THE COPPER WIRE WRAPPING SHOWS AUTHENTIC TARNISHING RATHER THAN ARTIFICIAL AGEING. THE WOOD SAYA RETAINS ITS ORIGINAL FINISH WITH NATURAL CRACKS AND WEATHERING APPROPRIATE TO AGE. ALL COMPONENTS APPEAR TO BE PERIOD-ORIGINAL AND UNMOLESTED BY RESTORATION.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
THIS TANTO REPRESENTS THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OF JAPANESE SWORD MANUFACTURE, WHEN TRADITIONAL METHODS WERE MAINTAINED ALONGSIDE MODERNISATION DURING THE LATE MEIJI AND TAISHO PERIODS (1880S-1920S). THE CONSTRUCTION METHOD—HAND-FORGED BLADE WITH HORN FITTINGS AND COPPER WIRE WRAPPING—REFLECTS AUTHENTIC SAMURAI AND MILITARY OFFICER EQUIPMENT OF THE ERA. SUCH PIECES WERE WORN AS SECONDARY WEAPONS OR DRESS SWORDS DURING THIS PERIOD OF JAPANESE MODERNISATION.

NOTE: THIS IS A GENUINE HISTORICAL JAPANESE SWORD WITH AUTHENTIC PERIOD CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS. THE CONDITION REFLECTS GENUINE AGE AND USE RATHER THAN ARTIFICIAL DISTRESSING. THE PIECE IS PRESENTED AS A HISTORICAL ARTEFACT AND SHOULD BE HANDLED WITH APPROPRIATE CARE.

Item Size: Height: 70cm, Width: 10cm, Depth: 10cm, Weight: 2Kg

Condition: Fair

TOORMINA
548507+7

Location of item: 9 Hi-Tech Drive, Toormina, NSW, Australia

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